Shahrukh Khan is a bundle of nerves. If the Rs 50-crore Devdas fails to click the way Lagaan did last year, it would be a huge setback. Or so the badshah strongly believes. "I want the hard work put in by friends Sanjay (Bhansali), Madhuri, Jackie and Ash to be appreciated," he pleads.

Industry watchers are divided in their pre-release response to this magnum opus. They are especially ill at ease with Shahrukh`s urbane, suave and polished Devdas, which is in stark contrast to the literary hero.If at the end of the day, the Khan continues to give his wry smile it`s because of two important people who are "unabashed" Shahrukh fans and would always be "on his side".

And who are these two people? Thespian Dilip Kumar and wife Saira Banu, who believe that among today`s generation of stars, "only Shahrukh could have played Devdas to perfection." Need we say more?